Over Use
by sakuraofsnow
Summary: Midorima noticed the little things that were changing with Takao. He was squinting more, rubbing his eyes more... Why? Takao felt pressured, he had to do his best, he had to push himself... Or he couldn't be Midorima's partener anymore, he wasn't worth it...


It was not unusal to see Midorima sneaking glances at Takao these days.

During practices, during class, during lunch, etc.

But the problem was that every time Midorima snuck a glance at Takao he would frown and scrunch up his eyebrows.

Because he would see Takao squinting at the board everytime in class. His eyebrows would furrow together adorably and his eyes narrowing.

After a good while of blinking and squinting Takao would then fall backwards onto his chairs, visibly giving up on the mission of seeing the words on the blackboard clearly.

This routine would repeat many times throughout the day and finally after a week Midorima realized why.

There was a practice game today, against an anonymus school called Raika Academy.

Of course Shutoku won, by a score that had a miserable difference.

After the players of Raika had left, the home team started to clean up, the mops were being swished across the floors, the laughter of Takao going on and off throughout the entire gym and the roars of Miyaji-san across the area telling the hawk-eye to shut up.

Midorima had eyed Takao throughout the entore game and he was sure of it now. He was sure of Takao's problem with his eyes.

"Takao! Come here!" Midorima shouted causing the ears of the point guard to perk up.

He looked surprised, his face was soon occupied with his signature grin though his eyes were still shining with confusion.

"What's wrong Shin-chan~~~" Takao sing-songed as he skipped over.

"We're going home." Midorima turned, not litsening to the angry shouts from his teammates behind him.

"Wait! Wait a second! Shin-chan~~~~" the raven pouted jogging up to the green-head in the cold winter night.

His nose and ear tips were red, Midorima noticed a little guiltily.

He stopped abruptly under the lampost the light that was creating a false sense of warmth. The shorter male crashed into the taller male, burying his face into the broad back of his boyfriend.

"Omph!" Takao mumbled under his breath, "What's wr-"

Not letting Takao finish, Midorima pulled off his white and beige colored scarf from his nape, Midorima wrapped the warm puffy fabric many times around the slender cold neck of his partener.

"But, Shin-chan this is your lucky item for today, no?" Takao protested moving to tug the scarf off his neck. "You need it, don't you?"

Stopping the raven's movements, Midorima grumbled quietly "You need it more than I do, you're freezing, you need to were more clothes! It's winter! You're not doing the best you can to prevent colds! What will the team do without you?!" his voice raising just a little, he turned his head to the side, his red ears peeking out.

"What will I do without you…" he added in a tiny voice.

Takao was stunned, he has never seen his beloved Shin-chan like this before. He erupted into little bursts of laughter. His voice tinkling in the air.

"Shin-chan~ Don't worry~~~" he grinned and later in a gentle smile "I won't leave you, I'll always be here."

Midorima smiled back with one of his tiny curves of lips, but then suddenly his expression turned serious, he looked like he remembered something no so pleasant.

The shooter opened his arms and engulfed the smaller man in his warm arms. Takao snuggled up into him, cherishing the rare moment of intimacy from the unusually affectionate man.

"Kazunari…" a gentle sigh.

"Hmmm?"

"Why are you doing this to your eyes?" Midorima whispered in his lover's ear sorrowfully.

Takao tensed. His laughter came in small choking sounds.

"He! He.. What are you talking about Shin-chan!? I'm doing nothing!" his voice was raspy and he was hicupping quietly.

Takao pulled back a little from the warmth, his grin was fake and strained. His eyes were shining with… was that tears? "Why would you think that?"

Midorima wiped away Takao's tears with a swipe of his fingers.

He sighed again "You don't need to hide anything from me, you know? I know what you are doing, I just don't understand why? Why are you abusing your Hawk Eye? You know over using them causing your eyesight to slowly become bad, you'll go blind if you keep doing this!" Then he added gently "Please, please tell me why, don't do this to yourself."

Takao froze, he had never heard the green-head plead.

Was he making him do this? the raven thought. I'm a really bad lover, aren't I?

"I know…. I know what is it doing to me…" he whispered, looking away from the beautiful green eyes of his boyfriend.

Midorima scowled, he forcefully turned the raven's head back towards him with a gentle tug. "Then why are you doing this?!"

"It's for you…. Did you think that I wouldn't notice you practicing even more harder after the Winter Cup?! I know you want to beat Akashi but you're ruining your body! An you seem to be slipping out of my reach even more…. You're too strong!" the tears came dripping down Takao's cheeks and getting soaked up by the beige scarf. "I want to catch up….!"

"That's why! That's why I'm using my eyes more! Almost every second in games! In practice! I want to be by your side! I'm not doing enough!" the scarf was wet with tears, sticking uncomfortably onto Takao's chin.

"There's not a single player on this team who's a hindrance." Midorima stated "That's what I said during the Winter Cup. There is no one on the team who haven't done anything they could in thier power. That also applies to you, Kazunari. You were the reason I was able to shoot so many shots, to score some many points. It was you that shaped that game the way I wanted it, you gave me your 150%, you passed me the ball, you trusted me. And I thank you for that."

Holding Takao's chin with a slight tilt, Midorima said the words while looking straight into the eyes that were slowing being ruined by it's own master with a strong gaze.

"Stop doing what you think is correct, you catching up to me? To my power and skills? That's imposible. Because our strong points are different, I can't be a point guard even if it would kill me, I'd just shoot the ball myself. But you, you were made the point guard of our team for a reason, you need someone to shoot for you but the shooter needs you in order to shoot. You aren't behind me, Kazunari, you are standing right beside me."

Takao sniffled, his tears started to pour down his cheeks. He smushed his face into his boyfriend's chest and began to bawl.

"Waaaaaa! Shinnnn-chaaaannnnn!" He cried and used Midorima's trench coat as a tissue, rubbling his tears over the dark beige fabric.

The weather grew colder by the minute, both male's breaths were coming out in white puffs of air.

"Kazunari."

"Huhhhh~~~? Hup!" Takao looked up still hiccuping a little.

"Is your parents home tonight?" Midorima asked nonchelently.

"No, my parents brought my sister on to a vacation, they left me here to watch the house and go to school. Why?" the raven asked.

"Good. Let's go." the green-head dragged Takao and started off towards the oppsite direction of the raven's house.

"Wait, Shin-chan! Where are you taking me? My house is that way, you know that!" the point guard yelled pointing at the direction of his house, stumbling on his feet and almost tripping over nothing.

Midorima caught him just as he was about to fall, the warmth of his palms tranfering through the thinly lined winter cardigan Takao was wearing over his school unform.

"Be more careful!" he chided. Takao sended him a sheepish grin.

"So? Where are we going?" Takao asked after they started walking again.

"My house." was the simple and short answer Midorima gave.

"Oh, is that so." the point guard said not really noticing the response "Wait. What?! Your house?! But it's late?! What about your parents?!"

"Yes my house, it's okay if it's late you can just go to school with me tomorrow, and my parents aren't home, they have a meeting in Kyoto for two days." Midorima replied.

"Oh… Okay…." Takao mumbled.

"Wait this is your house?!" Takao screamed "I thought it was the one beside it! You always waited for me in the mornings over at that house!"

"Takao! It's the night, be more considerate of the neighbours! Don't scream!" Midorima smacked his lover on the head saying.

"You don't need to! It's a freaking mansion! With like trees surrounding your house! Wow! This is so unexpected, well I knew you were rich by asking the price of your lucky items but still! Oh my god! This is awesome! Can I come over more often?! But why did you wait beside your house, in front of your neighbours house? Nee~~ Tell me ~~ Shin-chan~~~~ Tell me, tell me, tell me, tel-" Takao's excited voice got cut off by the plam covering his mouth, his blinked up to Midorima, tilting his head and narrowed his eyes in a sly way.

"Wha-what?" Midorima asked nervously.

Takao licked the plam of Midorima, and used his hands to keep the palm there and kept licking. The green-heads face turned red in an instant, snatching his hand away from Takao's grasp he started mechanically off towards the house.

The raven snickered, skipping behind the green-head.

But all that was just a brave front he had put up after his outburst. He still remembered Shin-chan crying after he lost the game to Rakuzan. He still remembered the way Shintarou patted his head after everyone left, comforting him while he was on the verge of breaking down himself. He still remembered the trembling silouete under the bus stop when they parted ways after the game. Heck, of course he still remembered the amazing plays Shintarou and Akashi made against the team of Jabberwock. The understanding glances and the unspoken coorperation between the two miracles were enough to crush the already wavering emotions in his heart.

It took him weeks to master that pass. Endless practices, endless drillings, endless mistakes and endless pressure. Heh! How ironic! The seemingly impossible thing barely mastered in long days and weeks, only took an instant for the captain of Rakuzan to do.

He made it seem so effortless.

He made it seem so easy.

He made it seem like what Takao did was pointless.

He made Takao Kazunari feel like nothing.

Without noticing himself the raven's face went dark, his face tilted downwards, he bangs dropped. He knuckles gripped tightly on his bag's strap, turning white. He blinked, trying to force his tears to disapear, he blinked again, over and over again.

He wiped the unwanted tears with the back of his hands. The salty liquid instantly turned cold on his fingertips, he brushed them off on his pants. He didn't want the man infront of him to see his vulnerable state again, that would make him feel useless.

But unknown to Takao, Midorima already knew the emotional state his partener was in. He heard the barely contained sobs and sniffs. He didn't turn around and comfort him, he knew Takao wouldn't appreciate that. He didn't know what the raven was thinking but he had a pretty good idea. It was probably about that pass, that pass that exhusted the point guard endlessly during the many weeks before the WC. The body that was on the verge of collapse. The limbs trailing behind Takao, too tired too move. The eyes that still looked fiery and determined even if he failed millions of times. The ever present sloppy grin on his face. The mouth that said firm and strong words to himself in the locker room after he thought everyone had left. The lips that trembled as he said those encouragements to himself.

Midorima did not miss the effort the point guard put into his plays, his shots, his passes. He saw everything and he firmly believed that Takao had done all he could, though the raven himself seemed to not get it…..

When they walked into the house, Takao had already picked up the pieces of his heart and carefully tucked them away, healing it slowly with positive thoughts and of course the good times the couple had together.

Shintarou had ushered the point guard into the bath, telling him to warm up like a proper mother hen. He gave him a change of clothes, though they looked a bit big.

He leisurly walked in the room, taking in the traditional wooden furo in the bathroom. The green head had told him to press the button beside the tub as soon as he got in the room.

He pressed it, wondering why.

As the water started flooding in the furo making quite a loud splash, the raven jumped. He wasn't expecting that, but after thinking it through, it made sense. The green head's family was rich enough to have a wooden furo in their huge bathroom, why not make it all automatic too!

In a minute the tub was filled to the brim with steaming hot water, Takao chucked in a spoonful of scented bath salts labeled Shintarou beside the tub on the shelf in the furo.

He immedietly soaked himself in the water, closing his eyes and enjoying the comfortable feeling of the liquid splashing around his face, warming him up instantly to the core.

Chuckling lightly he closed his eyes blissfully.

Shintarou was nervous and just a tiny bit worried. Yes, just a teeny tiny bit.

He looked at the cardigan and the scarf strewn messily over the small sofa infront of the bathroom. He took them and folded them carefully and set them down beside Takao's bag.

He went into the kitchen, he couldn't cook for his life but at least he knew how to make tea.

Pouring the instant matcha powder in two mugs he pressed the button on the hot water bottle, despensing scalding hot water into the mugs. Stiring them idly, he wondered if he remembered to lock the door. He had been in such a hurry to bring Takao inside to warm up his freezing body, he couldn't recall if he locked the main door or not.

Leaving the two drinks on the counter top, he walked over to the front door, checking if he had turned the lock before. He did.

Sighing, he went back to the kitchen, only to find a warm and comfy lover sitting on one of the three bar stools sipping the matcha.

He stared at the cozy scene in front of him. A towel was draped over his lover's head, a few strands of hair peeking out of the puffy fabric. Shintarou's clothes were obviously too big for the smaller male. The white t-shirt almost slipping off of the slender, pale shoulder. The sweatpants hung losely around his waists, he had to roll up the pantlegs a few times to avoid tripping over them.

Wordlessly, Shintarou moved to grab the blanket lying on the sofa in the living room.

Coming back to the kitchen, he draped the light blanket onto his lover's shoulders, maybe he should have brought a long sleved shirt. Takao smiled up at him, he wasn't surprised at all, he knew that the green head was there the entire time. Thanks to his Hawk Eyes.

Takao leaned against the broad chest, drinking the tea in slightly bigger sips now, just getting used to the heat. The blanket engulfing his small figure, he felt safe in the embrace of his lover. He should get sleepovers more often.

Midorima could smell the familiar chilly lavender aroma coming off from the heated skin in front of him. He smiled, feeling a little proud that his lover smelled like him. He put his chin on top of the head of

"Kazunari…." the green head breathed, plucking the now empty mug out of the raven's heads. "Go to bed. You're tired fom practice."

Takao groaned, not wanting to move from the human heater. "Shin-chan~~" he whined.

Midorima sighed, picking up his lover, he carried him towards his bedroom, climbing up the spiral stairs. Walking down the hallway, he suddenly noticed the soft snores being breathed out by the raven. Chuckling lightly, he shifted him so most of his weight would be on his shoulders, not his forearms.

The sleeping person grumbled, snuggling more into the embrace.

Midorima kicked the door open lightly, closing it with his heels. The room was dim but illuminated with a small nightlight lampost on the bedside table. Casting the ceiling with a warm yellowish glow.

He set Takao gently on the bed, brushing his bangs away from his face. He stared at the beautiful sight before him. He wasn't an angel, his face wasn't that soft. But it was still the most pretty thing he had ever seen. The soft cheeks with high cheekbones. The occasional flutter of his dark eyelashes, concealing the bright eyes that often gazed at with a gentle light in them. The pink mouth that was slightly open. But one thing that made Shintarou displeased was the black shadows under his eyes, how long have they been there? Reaching out, Shintarou carresed the dark skin, wanting to rub them away.

"Nnnnn…." The beautiful eyes cracked open, what Takao saw was the face of his boyfriend looming over him, his green hair framing his face.

"Sorry, I woke you didn't I?" Midorima whispered sheepishly.

"It's.. ok…." Takao smiled. He sat up rubbing his eyes, his gaze unfocused.

Watching the adorable act, Midorima suddenly realized how bad the situation would grow if Takao's eyesight grew worse. His world would be unfocused like his when he took his glasses off, and when his glasses couldn't help him anymore, his world would be black, no colors, no shapes, no forms. His light of his eyes would grow dim, he wouldn't be able to see anything… anyone!

Grabbing Takao's shoulders forcefully, Midorima grounded out through his teeth. "You will stop using your Hawk Eyes that often, alright?!"

Shocked the raven nodded numbly, his eyes widened under the fierce gaze. "Ok…."

"Good, I can't bear the fact that you wouldn't be able to see anything if you keep this up…" Midorima sighed relived. "I want you to be able to see the world, to see the things you want to see, to see the people you want to see. " He held the point guard close and they leaned back on the wall beside the bed.

They stayed in that position for a few minutes, both not speaking, comfortable in the silence. The heater whirling quietly, creating warmth.

The green head slowly fell asleep in the comfy atmosphere. His eyes closed shut, his breathing labouring.

Takao gently pulled himself out of the embrace, he lied down on the bed tugging down the green head to lie beside him. Kissing Midorima's forehead, he whispered "Sorry Shin-chan... " wiping away the tears threatning to spill out.

"I still need to do this, how else am I going to be of use to you?"

The wavering voice echoed in the dark.


End file.
